St Vincent Souvenir Sheet

(Scott 2356a-d) on Sept 26, 1996

Honoring one of the greatest Jewish athletes of the 20th century

Sanford “Sandy” Koufax was born on Dec. 30, 1935 in Brooklyn, NY to Evelyn and Jack Braun. His parents divorced when he was three, and his mother remarried when he was nine to Irving Koufax. Sandy attended Lafayette High School where he played basketball and baseball. He attended the University of Cincinnati on a basketball scholarship, but he also pitched for the baseball team. A Brooklyn Dodger scout spotted him pitching and recommended him as an outstanding prospect..

After tryouts with three major league teams, Koufax signed with the Dodgers in 1955 as a “bonus baby” for $14,000. The rule at the time forced the Dodgers to keep him on the roster for the first two years, which was a decided disadvantage. During this time Koufax got very little pitching experience.

Although he had a smoking fastball and a wicked curve, his control was poor at times, walking as many batters as he struck out. He also faced a good bit of anti-Semitism, but he did not let this bother him. His first few seasons with the Dodgers (1955-1960) were decidedly mediocre, partly because of poor control and partly because manager Walter Alston pitched him infrequently.

After the 1960 season, Koufax asked the management that he be used more frequently or be traded. Fortunately for the Dodgers (who had moved to Los Angeles in 1958), he was not traded because in 1961 he found his control and confidence, winning 18 games.

Koufax’s pitching performance from 1961 to 1966 was spectacular, earning him the title of the greatest left-handed pitcher of the twentieth century. From 1962 to 1966 he averaged 22 wins, 7 losses and had an earned run average of 1.99. During this period he pitched four no-hitters, including a perfect game, and won three Cy Young Awards as the best pitcher for the season.

Throughout this time Koufax suffered from traumatic arthritis, causing acute inflammation and severe pain. To relieve the pain, he routinely rubbed capsaicin, a hot pepper derivative, into his elbow. The damage to his elbow led to his retirement at the peak of his career when he was thirty years old. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame at age 36 and 20 days.

He refused to pitch the first game of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur. This decision won him great respect from both players and fans.

Quotes from two baseball greats that faced Koufax attest to his pitching skills.

“I knew every pitch he was going to throw and still I couldn’t hit him.”…Willie Mays.

“I can see how he won 25 games. What I don’t understand is how he lost five.”…Yogi Berra.